The present invention relates to a process for treating the surface of fresh meat, the use of hydrocolloids in the treatment of the surface of fresh meat, and fresh meat treated with solid hydrocolloid.
It has been known for a long time in human history to preserve freshly slaughtered meat for a prolonged period, and to guarantee a persistently stable meat quality for human consumption, by means of a brine or by preserving in salt, so-called “pickling”. Other well known processes are, for example, smoking and drying.
Said methods of preservation modify the treated meat so such an extent, however, that the latter can no longer be described as fresh meat.
Consumers prefer fresh meat at the present day because storage methods such as, for example, cold storage or freezing followed by thawing have now also become universally available.
The quality of fresh meat for human consumption is influenced significantly during its storage after the slaughter and butchering of the animal by storage parameters such as temperature and humidity, in particular in the case of the aforementioned storage methods.
For maintaining the quality of large pieces of fresh meat during prolonged storage, it is known from Marggrander and Hofmann, Fleischwirtschaft 77, pages 19 to 20, 1997 to spray meat products with a gelatine solution in order to produce a gelatine film.
Said film impedes the access of oxygen to the meat surface, so that oxidation processes, which are the cause of rancidification, are reduced. At the same time said film prevents so-called freezer burn during prolonged cold and frozen storage and reduces weight loss due to drying out of the meat.
Similar subject-matter is known from Villegas et al., Fleischwirtschaft April 1999, pages 86 to 89, where a gelatine coating likewise as a good oxidation barrier is described, so that the meat products treated in this way exhibit a reduced oxidation and only a slight colour deterioration with prolonged storage.
Consumers prefer, particularly with meat packed in portions, an appetising, for the most part rosy, or in the case of poultry and fish, white appearance of the piece of meat, which should also show no residues of blood and still be of firm consistency.
A consumer-subjective quality deterioration nevertheless frequently occurs because during storage, in particular in the case of freezing and thawing processes or during cold storage, meat loses liquid (so-called drip) and water mixed with blood, and the meat surface makes a bad visual impression due to the liquid that has escaped. This results in the final analysis in the consumer being unwilling to purchase such meat, particularly when already portioned, and to the latter therefore often having to be processed as less high grade products, for example pet food.
The problem of drip cannot be mastered with the application of a gelatine film as described above without the external appearance being modified and hence the fresh meat character being forfeited.
A known measure for visually improving the presentation of portioned fresh meat in supermarkets consists in the use of cellular inlays in the packs, which are able to absorb the drip obtained. This results, however, in said cellulosic inlays, because of the blood-containing liquid that has escaped, often having a rather unappetising effect on the consumer.